Surveillance 2.0: the patrol robot is here

360-degree vision. Plus a thermal camera, microphone and speaker, GPS and LiDAR for mapping the operational environment, and artificial intelligence applications.

This is ‘Surveillance 2.0’, the new frontier in technology, which sees the introduction of new tools into what has, until now, been a field operation carried out predominantly with the direct presence of human personnel. The patrol robot is being introduced by Forte Secur Group, which is today formally unveiling the new development at DHL Supply Chain, one of its clients.

“This project began in 2020,” explains President Alessia Forte, “and involved analysing various solutions before settling on this robot, which was manufactured in Spain but adapted in line with our specifications. It will not replace human intervention but will complement it, thereby reducing security costs.”

The robot (Fortify) has a battery life of 8–10 hours, can negotiate obstacles up to 13 centimetres high and is in constant contact with the operations centre. It is capable of recognising vehicles but can also identify ‘changes’ in its surroundings, such as damage to fences, doors or windows. ‘It also features artificial intelligence applications,’ explains the entrepreneur, ‘which enable it to recognise anomalies and send out alert messages accordingly. Compared to a night-time security guard, costs can be reduced by around 30 per cent.’

Forte Secur Group, a Treviso-based company with offices also in Milan and Modena, employing 350 staff and generating revenue of 19 million, dominates the security market for large organisations, where the perimeters and areas to be monitored often require the simultaneous presence of several people, day and night. These include logistics sites and industrial plants, construction sites and large areas requiring patrols, airports and other critical infrastructure.